Cheese making method



Nov. 3, 1953 R. MloLLls CHEESE MAKING METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed March 19, 1949 Nov. 3, 17953 R. MloLLlS 2,657,994

CHEESE MAKING METHOD Original Filed March 19, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Nm uw QNRNI MQW mw. mmm.

V l. L,a W@ u @QN N .Va x67/ /A/AA W Z WV Z ,Mw W w m Mr N a@ MRW WQN d, QN QQ QN NBN um xd \\%LY\\ j. NRJ may j/ Nov. 3, 1953 R. MloLLls CHEESE MAKING METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed March 19, 1949 NQ/Mm( www n on ons ne. 0 one oo 'I Patented Nov. 3, 1953 CHEESE MAKING METHOD Raymond Miollis, Maywood, Ill., assignor to The Borden Company, a corporation of New Jersey Original application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,459. Divided and this application July 5, 1951, SerialNo. 235,320

5 Claims..

This invention relates to cheese making methods and more particularly to improved methods especially adapted for use in small cheese factories.

This application is a divisional of my application Serial No. 82,459, filed March 19, 1949.

One feature of this invention is that it provides improved. methods for making cheese Without utilizing special. vats heretofore necessary; another feature of' this invention is that it ena.- bles the milk to be coagulated and the curd tol be drained and matted in a single vat without transfer; yet a further feature is thatmy method may be used in vats now conventionally found in small cheese plants; another feature of the invention is that it uses a movable platform adapted to be moved along the bottom of a vat containingA curds to cause the curds to slide onto the surface of the platform; still another feature of the invention is that it utilizes a scraper member adapted to abut the platform at one edge and having a surface extending from the level of' the platform surface to adjacent the bottom of the vat. at an acute angle to the bottom of the vat to facilitate the movement of the curds on to the platform; yet other features of the invention are the use of a., vertically disposed end plate for preventing curds from falling off the platform, and means. for guiding the scraper and platform members to the bottom of thev vat.

Other features and advantages. will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a. vat having the portion of the improved. apparatus therein;

Fig.. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section similar to Fig. 2, but showing, the apparatus, at a later point in the process of making. cheese;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken along the linev 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan View of the right end of the apparatus of Fig. 4;

Fig. 'Z is a fragmentary plan view of a round ended vat having another portion of the apparatus therein;

Fig. 8- is a fragmentary plan view similar to 'i Fig. 7', but showing the. apparatus in a different position; t

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Figs. '7 and 8 but showing the apparatus in still a different position;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 2;.

Fig. 1l is a transverse vertical section through a flat bottomed vat having the improved appa.- ratus therein, taken along the line I l-ll of Fig. l2;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan View ofa flat bottomed vat having one form of the apparatus therein;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of a semi-V bottomed` vat having another form of the apparatus therein;

Fig. 14 is a plan View of a vat having a modified end plate therein and showing a modified step in the method;

Fig. 15 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line l5-l5 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 17 is a front elevational View of the end plate of Fig. 14, looking from the right in Fig. 14; and

Fig. 18 is a rear elevational View of said end plate.

In the past it was the practice in performing the operations necessary in making certain kinds of cheese, to utilize a plurality of vats including a, cheese vat for forming the curds and a molding vat for pressing the curds and cutting them into cheese blocks. Very often a Washing vat for brine or other material is also utilized intermediate the cheese vat and the molding vat. Transferring the curds into various vats after certain ope-rations are performed in the cheese vat wherein the curds are formed has been advantageous because Without apparatus of the type disclosed herein the cheese vat does not lend itself to efficient performance of the various` steps required in making certain types of` cheese, particularlyl Where it is necessary to press the curds While they are immersed in liquid and simultaneously to permit the liquid to drain from the curds as. taught in certain of my earlier patents.

Examples of cheese making methods and apparatus utilizing a plurality of vats' (including a molding vat). yfor the. eflici'ent performance of the necessary steps are fully disclosed in my Patents 2-,103,5`45, issued December 28', 1937", and Re. 21,834, reissued June. 17', 1941, and since much of the apparatus utilized in making cheese in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in these patents, the disclosure herein will be kept brief and reference may be had' to the above noted patents for a full anvdl complete disclosure of apparatus and of method steps utilized in the complete cheese making operationl I have found that while the apparatus and methods disclosed in the above mentioned patr ents are far superior to apparatus and methods heretofore employed, they do not readily lend themselves for use in small cheese factories which may not have space for a molding vat. The present invention comprises a modification and adaptation of certain of the apparatus and processes disclosed in the earlier patents above mentioned to a small cheese factory which may have only a single vat, and bymeans of the present invention all of the advantages set forth in the earlier patents above mentioned are retained without the necessity of utilizing a plurality of vats.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a vat is designated at 20. 'Ihs vat may be of conventional construction and reference is had to Patent No. 2,103,545 for a detailed disclosure of the construction of the vat. Briefly. the vat has side walls 20a. and 2Gb, end walls 20c and 20d and a bottom 2e. In the vat illustrated in Figs. 1-6 the bottom is of the semi-V type as shown best in Figs. 3 and 5 and is pitched from a high end shown at the right of Figs. l, 2 and 4 toward a low end shown at the left of said ngures. In America most cheese vats wherein the curds are formed are of this construction, the semi-V portion generally having a depth at the high end of the order of one-half inch and at the low end of the order of two and one-half inches, although vats having a total pitch greater than this are not uncommon. While in the drawings the vat illustrated is assumed to be a cheese vat wherein the curds are formed, it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other vats containing curds wherein one or more steps in the cheese making process have already been performed, as for example, in a washing vat wherein the curds have been washed in brine or some other suitable solution after being transferred from the cheese vat wherein the curds were formed. At its low end the vat 20 is provided with a gate leading to a drain pipe 2l. Reference may be had to Patent No. 2,103,545 for a full disclosure of a similar gate structure.

The vat illustrated in Fig. l is generally designed to hold a quantity of milk and this milk in the vatis treated bacteriologically in the usual manner as more fully disclosed in my earlier 4patents so that curds and Whey are formed. In order to form blocks of the particular type of cheese under consideration the curds must be pressed while they are immersed in liquid in order to avoid the formation of air pockets, and after pressing the mass of curd may ibe cut into cheese blocks and removed from the vat for curing and other treatment. Inasmuch as the pressing operation should separate the whey from the curds, the earlier mentioned patents teach removing the curds from the vat into a molding vat having a perforated false bottom facilitating drainage of the whey during the pressing operation. However, this method is ineflicient and results in excessive labor, while there is often not space for molding vats in small factories. According to the present invention, a scraper member and a platform spaced above the bottom of the vat are provided and these members are moved under the mass of curd in order to permit drainage when the curds are pressed.

One form of scraper member preferably used in semi-V bottomed, longitudinally pitched vats as shown in Fig. 1, is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. In these figures the scraper comprises a portion 22 having its leading edges formed into a V and having a surface extending at an acute angle from adjacent the bottom of the Vat. This surface is formed by a pair of flaps 22D and 22o hingedly mounted on the arms of the V by hinges 23, and a center nap 22d hingedly mounted adjacent the apex of the arms of the V. Together the naps 22D, 22e, and 22d form a surface angular to the bottom of the vat, and the hinged mounting permits these members to follow the varying pitch of the vat as the scraper member is moved along the bottom of the vat.

A movable platform designated generally at 25 is lprovided having a surface spaced above the bottom of the vat. While this platform may be formed from a single member preferably it is formed of a plurality of rectangular platform members 25a-251i. Each platform member is as long as the inside width of the vat and each has spacing flanges engaging the bottom of the vat. Referring for a moment to Fig. 10, these spacing flanges may be in the form of channel irons 2E extending the entire length of the front and back sides of the rectangular members and being welded or otherwise secured thereto. Preferably each platform member is of a width convenient for handling, as about eight or nine inches in the apparatus shown. Each platform member 25ct-25u has a plurality of drainage openings 21 therethrough as shown in Fig. 1, and the platform members may be similar to the trays disclosed in Patent Re. 21,834, being formed of sheet metal with a perforated surface.

Means are provided for guiding the scraper member and the platform members to the bottom of the vat, these means comprising a ,pair of rails 28 and 29 adapted to be movably supported in the vat. Each rail has a flanged portion as shown at 28a in Fig. 2, and each rail has an arcuate guiding portion extending from adjacent the bottom of the vat to above the level of the curds in the vat as shown in Fig. 2, the curd level being designated by the broken line 30 in this figure.

In making cheese, regardless of whether the curds are in the cheese vat wherein they were formed, or whether the curds have been removed to a washing vat wherein they are immersed in brine, the liquid in the vat (the Whey or the brine) is agitated in the conventional manner. When it is desired to press the curds agitation is stopped and the curds are then removed from a space at one end of the vat (preferably the low end as illustrated in Figs. 14-16, although it may be done from the other end as illustrated in Figs. l and 2) and the scraper member 22 and one or more platform members 25 are placed in this curd free space, the guide rails 26 and 21 being utilized if desired, as shown in Figs. l and 2. The scraper member and the platform members are then pushed toward the other end of the vat, additional platform members being added at the end of the train as required. During this operation the curd is preferably continuously stirred by an operator with a curd rake so that the curd is kept in suspension and the progress of the scraper member and platform is facilitated.

When the train comprising the scraper 22 and the platform members 2.5 has been advanced until the scraper hits the other end of the vat the scraper may be removed from its hinges and a final push will bring the first platform member 25a into contact with the end of the vat as shown in Fig. 4. If desired, instead of rea vertical position, as foi-'example hooks or: stops anchored on the side walls or the vat, the end plate is preferably provided'with brackets 32a and 32h, which engage the downwardly turned l'ends of the arms of a `rlsiiapedrake handle 313. "ll'ieend piate may have one orA more drainage `oioeil-l-iiigs if desired.

Any' curds which may' have been left at the end of the vat between the end plate and the end wal-l1 20w may' be picked up with a perforated scoop and deposited on the batch of curd's 3U. Inlasmuclfi 'as the surface of the plat/form 25 is f'spaced above the bottom of the vat (a spacing oiabout one to two or two and a half inches vvis preferred) the whey drains readily from the curds into the bottom of the vat during the press'- i'ng operation. This pressing operation is fully "described in the patents abovereferred to and 'Wil-l not be repeated herev except to say that pressureplates may be placed on top of the curd batch and left there for a period of ten to thirty n'iin'utes.V Because of the longitudinal pitch in the vat bottom the whey will drain to the pipe 2|.

. After the curds are' pressed the surface of the curd mass may be marked transverselyV of the vat to indicate the desired size of' the cheese 4blocks which are tobe cut, and the curds may then be cut along these'linjesl and each block may be removed' on its supporting platform member.

An apparatus and method for cutting the. cheese blocks is fully disclosed in the earlier mentioned patents.

1?' shows a modied' form of scraper member; In 13 a scraper member 35' has its leading edge formed' as a shallow V and is hingedly mounted as shownat Zitto the leading platfornr member 25a. No naps are provided on the scraper member. This formof scraper is par'- ticularly adapted for use in a vat which does not have any' longitudinal pitch, although if the pitch is not too great, it can be used eiliciently in a vat as shown in Eigs. 1-5'.

Figs. ll Aand I2'show another form of scraper member designed for use in a fiat bottomed vat. This vat, designated generally at 40 and shown only fragmentarily in Figs. l1- and l2, has side walls!y .40a and 4Gb and aflat bottom 46e. Of course. if desired, this flatbottom may'have a longitudinal pitch to facilitate drainage; For use 'in a vat of this type (which only seldom -iiound in America, but is commonly used in Europe) the leading edge of the scraper member 4i should be straight as shown in Fig. l2, and the scraper member may comprise a rectangular sheet member adapted to be hingedly mounted on the leading platform member 25a by means of hinges 42.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show apparatus for use in a round ended vat, such a vat being designated in these gures generally at 50 and comprising parallel side walls 50a and 50h', a bottom 50e which may be flat or in the form of a semi-V, and end Walls at least one of which is rounded as shown at 50c. If the train comprising the scraper and the platform is to be advanced toward the rounded end obviously the curds in the rounded end would not be moved on to the surface of the platform. Consequently, I provide an additional end plate 5I. This plate is as long as the internal width of the vat and high enough to extend above the surface of the curds in the vat.

'6 plate. may or may noti be'.- perforated as de.-

siredt Before thescraper member 'and plat'- form are moved toward the. hingediend.' or thefvat A the end' plate 5t is. inserted. along oneside .at the 'va-t.. During this movement the end plate'. pushes before.` it the curd's in the. rounded end?. of' the vatand when the end plate reaches the position of Fig. 9 where: it. extends. transversely-across the vat the rounded endl will? be substantially free of curds. Any curds: remaining may bel scooped upand thrown over the end plate. Any desired means of supportingl the end plate in the` posi.- ti'on of Fig. 9 may be utilized, and when: the scraper member strikes. the end' plate the. same procedure as earlier described may bef'iolowed.

A dinerentmeans for removing curds. to permit the insertion ofthe. scraper and the platform in the vat is shown in Figs. 1.4-18. In these figures a special end plate. may be provided cornprising a plate member- Bn having 'a handle Mi. As shown Figs; 1'?? and is. the plate 60 may be a perforated stainless steel sheet Vand-'theharrdle may comprise a bar formed in theshape of a U and having its ends flattened at 6ta and riveted or otherwise secured to the sheet 601 to strengthen the sheet. On` the other side of the sheet angle irons 6'2 and163 are secured along 'the respective top and bottom edges of the.` sheet 6U for additional strength. An eyebolt 64' is mount'- ed adiacent each lower corner ofthe end plate.

Since an end' plate of this type is particularly useful in a vat having a semi-V" bottom a'parl of segments 5v5 and 6B are movably'mounted on the face of the sheetf member 60. Referring-to Fig. 17 it may be seen that each segment is generally triangular in formwith its apex pivotally secured to the sheet 60E adjacent a lowercorner of said sheet by means of buttons: 65h' andi 56e which permit easy removal of the segments. for cleaning.. The member 65 has a slot. 65a adjacent. its base and extending generally parallel therewith, andthe member 66 has' a similar slot eta. The slot 65o engages a stud 6T extendingirren` the face -of member 6U and 'the slot 68o. engages. a. similar Astud Gd. 'Preferably theA studs have 'a shank and enlargedihead and the lslots' are of' keyhole' shape so that'y the studi cannot. come out of the slot except when thesegment is-Jraisedto lar-'ing the head or' the stud adjacent the'enlarged lowcr endoi" the slot.

When used in a semi-V bottomed vatA the segments pivot atl their mpuntingpoints 65h and B627 tofollow-the contour-of the bottomot the vat. The pivotal mounting of the segments may be oii center to allow the segments properly to sweep the vat bottom and the arrangement is such that when the segments have pivoted downwardly to the limit allowed by the slots and studs the lower inner corner of each segment will be about three inches below the bottom of the sheet member 60.

In Figs. 14, l5 and 16 the modied apparatus is shown in use in the semi-V bottomed vat 20. Instead oi using a rake to remove curds from the end of the vat the end plate 60 is slid down to the bottom of the vat along one of the end walls, the

apparatus being inserted in the low end of the .other suitable manner.

:vat to cause the handle 6l with his other hand; The opera- -tors then pull the end plate toward the high end ofthe vat, moving the curds ahead of the plate.

When enough room is provided a scraper 35 and ,one or more platform members 25 are inserted behind the end plate as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. The end plate may then be moved to a position behind the last platform members as shown in vals the end plate may be moved and additional platform members inserted until the Whole train is under the mass of curds, at which time the hooks 69 may be removed and the end plate supported in the manner shown in Fig. 6 or in any The curds are then pressed and cheese blocks cut therefrom in the same manner as heretofore disclosed.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood nthat it is capable of many modifications, and

changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a method of making cheese in a vat, the steps comprising: removing the curds from a `space adjacent one end of said vat; elevating the curds above the bottom of the vat by bringing a scraper member against the curds in said space,

bringing at least one platform member into said space adjacent said scraper member but closer to said end and moving said scraper member and platform member toward the other end of said the curds to slide up across the surface of said scraper memberonto said platform;

and draining the Whey into the space therebelow.

2. In a method of making cheese in a vat, the

'steps'comprisingz removing the curds from a space adjacent one end of said vat; elevating the curds above the bottom of the vat by bringing a scraper member against the curds in said space,

.bringing at least one platform member into said space adjacent said scraper member but closer to said end, moving said scraper member and platform members toward the other end of said vat and alternately placing similar platform members in said space and moving said scraper f member and platform members toward the other end of said vat to cause the curds to -slide up across the surface of said scraper member onto said platform; and draining the whey into the space therebelow.

3. In a method of making cheese in a vat, the steps comprising: removing the curds from a -space adjacent one end of said vat; elevating the curds above the bottom of the vat by bringing a scraper member against the curds in said space, bringing at least one platform member into said space adjacent said scraper member but closer to said end, moving said scraper member and platform members toward the other end of said vat, alternately placing similar platform members in such space and moving said scraper member and platform members toward the other end of said vat to cause the curds to slide up across the surface of said scraper member and placing an end plate in abutment with the end platform member for preventing curds from falling off said platform; and draining the whey into the space therebelow.

4. In a method of making cheese in a round ended vat wherein curds are formed, the steps comprising: removing the curds from one end of the vat by placing a plate in said vat along one side thereof adjacent the rounded end and moving said plate to a position transverse of said vat; removing the curds from a space adjacent the other end of said vat; elevating the curds above the bottom of the vat by bringing a scraper member against the curds in said space, bringing at least one platform member into said space adjacent said scraper member but closer to said other end, moving said scraper member and plat- `steps comprising: coagulating the milk to form cheese curds; elevating the curds above the bottom of the vat by inserting a scraper member under the curds near one end of the vat and inserting a platform member behind said scraper member and moving them along the bottom of said vat to position said platform member beneath said curds; and draining the whey into the space therebelow.

RAYMOND MIOLLIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number Name Date Re. 21,834 Miollis June 17, 1941 2,193,462 Miollis Mar. 12, 1940 2,324,636 Miollis July 20, 1943 

1. IN A METHOD OF MAKING CHEESE IN A VAT, THE STEPS COMPRISING: REMOVING THE CURDS FROM A SPACE ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID VAT; ELEVATING THE CURDS ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE VAT BY BRINGING A SCRAPER MEMBER AGAINST THE CURDS IN SAID SPACE, BRINGING AT LEAST ONE PLATFORM MEMBER INTO SAID SPACE ADJACENT SAID SCRAPER MEMBER BUT CLOSER TO SAID END AND MOVING SAID SCRAPER MEMBER AND PLATFORM MEMBER TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID VAT TO CAUSE THE CURDS TO SLIDE UP ACROSS THE SURFACE OF SAID SCRAPER MEMBER ONTO SAID PLATFORM; AND DRAINING THE WHEY INTO THE SPACE THEREBELOW. 